New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-22
JEW AND CHRISTTAN.
A NOVEL OF NETWORK LIFE.


" 16mo PIP 800. Cassell q Co.
Tho last novel by ."Sidney LuslIa' shows nc
a,u,nuion of that Astounding force and vitality
which struck us in the earlier work of this gifted
Young writer We find here the same quick Pulse
which beat so full in Mrs. Peixada and AS IL
was written, the same sustained energy
the same freshness, and the same easy
natural onward stride which makes us thiinS
OF an earnest man in the high morning oil lie anu
the flush Of perfect health. 1t is good sign tha'
tho onoct Of strength and freshness, which was
the predominating impression created Dy MI l'"f-
lands first stories does not wear of as he gains
literary experience. Clearly he has q great fund
10 draw upon. and we ore justified in expecting
from him even more serious things than he has
o1readv ACCOMPLISHED In THE Yoke OF the
Iborahp there is an obvious advance in gravity
of u,rnose While the authors faculty oil Telling
n lively story depicting social types, ana lmaSln-
inc startling situations remains as rich ana unusual
MS ever he adds to il n more intense concep1oh
of the motive of his novel, and reliance upon ule
DEVELOPMENT Of moral influences rather than .ne
invention of accidents for the working OUT Oh Ills
plot Sometimes he pursues the analysis Oh olho
ton with a zeal that the modern lnnocuous-ieals
tic school could hardly surpass only ms suoJecl Is
never commonplace for it is the mind undcr lhe
domination Of abnormal impulses which, however
strange are not antecedently unnatural. OF 'ili'
reason, although events are seen TO 1oilo" do
character and conduct have shaped them' the
story is full Of surprises, and some OF the points
are intensely dramatic,
The theme of the novel is the love Of q Jew and
q Christian Against it WIS not only the lnSlihcV
Of race and religion but the fierce prohibitions OF
that ,nwrtten code of law called the Thorah
with which orthodox Judaism has supplemented
the law of Moses Few Christians understand the
rigoF Of this traditional system In our day ana
country probably ii is only the strictest OF lie
brews who think of respecting all lis denuncia-
tions or believe that God will visit violations OF
It with temporal physical penalties OF The most
awful nature, not only upon the transsressoi' pu'
upon his remote descendants. Marriage wlIn
Christian especially is threatened IN the moran
with terrific curses. 1t is the Sin LOT wch liieio
is no forgiveness. 1t is contamination OF lhe lacc
for whose preservation in purity God created and
maintained the world, and the Lord never iais 10
visit the offender with the fire OF his WRATH lhat
in point Of fact such visible vengeance docs not
commonly follow the forbidden marriage does not
affect the belief OF the supesttious that IL mus
so follow Whether MIR. Harland has accurately
represenfed the creed Of any considerable NUMBER
of intelligent Israelites in this matter Is queS
tion about which we need not concern ourselves
as an clement in fiction. Mr.. Elias Bacharach' a
vouno Now-Yorlx artist with whose fortunes the
hool, 70 concerned has been brought up In The
strictest beliefs Of the Jews. lie lives with his
uncIe n rabbi whose orthodoxy has in it something
savace and fanatical and whose faith in visible
intcrferepces OF the Almighty in the worldly
affairs OF his chosen people degenerates INTO
grotcsque credulity. When Elias becomes engaged
to marry a Christian, the rabbi assures MN 'ha'
the Lord VIII not permit the accused union 10
take place. In some way, even az inc I@sV lio
ment the divine displeasure VIII be mahlesteu
The old gentleman's confidence is still unShaken
when the ceremony actually begins Ills pre-
diction Is fulfilled Bacharach falls In fit oil
enllepsv at the side OF the bride, and Is carried
home unconscious. This would be an OVERFLOW
employment Of the deus ex machina II the aulhor
had not provided simple explanation Oh lhe aP
narent wonder. Bacharach has passed throueh
q time of extraordinary mental excitement ana
physical fatigue lie has fought against NIB
creed his lifelong associations, his inherited SUI
perstitions, and he has been driven almost insane
by the persistency Of his uncle. The tumult In
his mind is not to be quelled without some violent
manifestation, and the collapse at the cntcal
moment to which all the excitement has been
tending is only the natural physical result OF
nhvsicel Causes But to Bacharach, when ne
RECEIVERS consciousness in his own room, ana mas
the implacable Rabbi Gedaza sitting by ms ped
side eaaer to improve the occasion, ana OF course
convinced Of the miraculous origin OF The event
which has interrupted the marriage, no such
rational explanation suggests itself lie Is easily
persuaded that the Lord has indeed lnterfered 10
save him from the objectionable sin. weakened
in mind and body, he takes up again The old su-
perst1tion, and poor Christine REDWOOD Is oAs
missed with scant ceremony
AT this period tho strongest part OF The story
begins Elias underyoes q curious psychological
experience As If, on rising from his illness, he
had regained only his bodily health Without his
intellectual or moral sense, no becomes dull and
callous. lie is no longer In love- He Is conscious
of Christmas suiIerings and his own responsibility
for them. and yet he docs not caro- for them He
loses interest in his art. lie leads the aimless
life Of q useless and unambitious man. lie allows
Dr. Gedaza TO tempt him into jewish society, and
he finds it amusing, which shows how far he has
fallen for what he sees of IL hopelessly common.
lie marries an amiable Jewess, more through the
procurement Of his uncle than by any choice OF
his own and although he does not love her he
tries to be kind and faithful husband. But one
day be sees Christine in a crowd, and then sud
denly his dormant moral nature awalIes His
love comes back with tenfod intensity The
horror Of what he has done brushes him. The
impossibility OF any remedy fills him with despair
lie suffers the torrents Of the damned, while he
is forced to calm face al home and To
pretend q concern for the trlviaties which inter
est his unsuspecting wife. uhe tragedy of Bach
arach's punishment Is carried through many pages
OF fine imaginative analysis, in which the sufferer
is made to lay bare his heart in long passionate
letter of explanation intended for Christine, but
never sent q letter In which tho authors power
or expressing the deepest and most violent feeling
is surprisingly displayed. For such an over
strained condition OF mind good art Offers no
solution but death, and Bacharach's end is de-
scIibed with dramatic force Of which wo will
mol innnair the niiect b rcyenlinn details IL Is